5 Kids, 4 Adults Killed in Tennessee House Fire: Authorities

Firefighters on the scene became emotional after the flames were put out

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A fire ripped through a house in South Memphis, Tennessee, Monday morning, killing four adults and five children, authorities said. Memphis Fire Director Gina Sweat said a child was fighting for life in the hospital.

The adults and three of the children were pronounced dead at the scene and three more children were taken to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, where two of them succumbed to their injuries, Sweat said.

The fire had started in the living room and had only consumed 20 percent of the house, but heavy smoke had spread through the home, Sweat said. It's unclear if the victims had attempted to get out. Some suffered from smoke inhalation, and some suffered from burns, she said.

According to the station, firefighters on the scene became very emotional after the flames were put out.